Music Education Funding Scores A Key Victory With Passage Of New Package

What the passage of the Labor-HHS-Education spending package means for the state of music in schools over the coming year

Nate Hertweck

Advocacy

Oct 3, 2018 - 4:45 pm

Good news from Washington for music education and beyond: the president has signed the Labor-HHS-Education and Defense spending package for fiscal year 2019. This piece of legislation maintains funding for key music education programs and prevents a government shutdown.

The important role music education plays in our culture has been top-of-mind recently across the music community. Everyone from GRAMMY-nominated artists such as Ledisi, who defended the necessity of music education in a recent op-ed for The Sacramento Bee, to on-the-ground music educators like music teacher Melissa Salguero, who says her music education "sparked a passion for helping other people." Segura was named 2018 Music Educator Award GRAMMY Museum and the Recording Academy.

The latest bill will ensure inspired students, like the young Ledisi, and devoted music educators, like Salguero, continue to have funding for the programs that change their – and so many others' – lives.

The Senate packaged the education and defense spending bills together in order to streamline the process and meet the Oct. 1 fiscal deadline. The package was passed by the Senate last month by a landslide vote of 93-7, and then by the House Of Representatives by a 361-61 tally before landing on President Trump's desk with a lot riding on it's success.

In addition to the support it promises for music education, the new package also extends temporary funding of the National Endowment For The Arts. While the $29 Million dollars allocated to Arts In Education remains equal to the prior year amount, the U.S. Department of Education will receive a $581 Million increase in 2019.

The package also scores a bump in funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant, which marks providing students access to a well-rounded education – including music and the arts – as its primary area of support.

With so many hot-button issues facing lawmakers, it is important we stay active in communicated our perspectives as well as celebrate their successes, such as the passage of Labor-HHS-Education or the Music Modernization Act. Together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of music people of every age.

Music, Politics To Unite At 2018 GRAMMYs On The Hill

Celebrating its 20th year of Advocacy, the Recording Academy will once again bring music and politics together on Capitol Hill on behalf of creators' rights

Nate Hertweck

Advocacy

Mar 28, 2018 - 3:14 pm

Each spring, the Recording Academy's groundswell of advocacy efforts on behalf of music creators and copyright holders culminates in its flagship event, GRAMMYs on the Hill. With a lineup of crucial legislation on the table aimed to modernize copyright law, an incredible cast of honorees from music and politics, and the creative and political communities united like never before, this year's celebration of 20 years of Advocacy in Washington, D.C., promises to be pivotal.

Jan 27, 2018 – 2:27 pm

Little Big Town: Meet The Nominees | 60th GRAMMYs

The private event kicks off in the nation's capital at the Hamilton Live on April 18 with the GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards. This year, the ceremony will honor three-time GRAMMY-winning group Little Big Town for their support and advocacy for key causes aligned with closely the Recording Academy, including advocating for music education and supporting MusiCares.

GRAMMYs on the Hill will also recognize two outstanding legislators who have made significant efforts to improve the environment for music creators' rights: Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.). Chu has long been an fervent supporter of creators' rights, and serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus with Collins, who authored the songwriter-focused Music Modernization Act.

"We're honored to stand alongside the Academy and Reps. Chu and Collins in speaking out and protecting an industry that has done so much for us," said Little Big Town's Phillip Sweet.

"Music is healing and powerful, and music education gives our children an outlet for expression that is absolutely necessary for their overall growth and well-being," continued Sweet's bandmate, Karen Fairchild. "We will continue to do our part to protect music education, songwriters, recordings, and the artists who bring them to life."

The event will celebrate the contributions of each of these honorees and feature a special performance by Little Big Town, along with another special musical surprise.

The following day, April 19, music creators will take to Capitol Hill to participate in GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day, where they will meet face to face with members of Congress to discuss how current music legislation affects their livelihoods on a daily basis. These personal meetings will provide some of the music industry's finest with the chance to convey the real-world importance of copyright reform and dire need for comprehensive music legislation that benefits all creators, including performers, songwriters, producers, and engineers. Some of these key pieces of legislation include the aforementioned Music Modernization Act, as well as the AMP Act, the CLASSICs Act and Fair Play Fair Pay Act.

For music creators who depend on their work to earn a living, GRAMMYs on the Hill offers the opportunity for their voices to be heard as songwriters and artists speak directly with the members of Congress who wield the power to enact much-needed copyright reform and preserve the National Endowment of the Arts in a social, entertaining environment, bringing attention to the joy of music and the necessity of supporting those who create it.

Rep. Darrell Issa's Retirement Brings New Urgency To CLASSICS Act

As a champion of artists in Congress moves on, the fight for the critical bill he introduced to modernize copyright continues

Nate Hertweck

Advocacy

Jan 12, 2018 - 1:32 pm

"Retiring Congressman Issa is spot-on when it comes to legacy artists. It 'makes little sense' that pre-1972 sound recordings aren't protected under federal copyright protections, and it's about time Congress acts to fix this nonsensical loophole." — Conversations in Advocacy #5

Music creators and fans alike are continually incredulous to learn that recordings created prior to 1972 are not given the same copyright protection as modern recordings due to inconsistent and unworkable state laws. Last year, the CLASSICS Act was introduced, representing a bill that would fix the problem and close this decades-old loophole.

Now, as one of Congress' leading advocates for artists' rights, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), has announced his retirement, the music community is reminded of the critical need to pass the CLASSICS Act and level the playing field for copyright holders.

Issa championed the cause of bringing pre-1972 copyrights out of the dark ages, an effort he articulated in an op-ed for Variety last summer. Issa has also been a proponent of granting artists and producers a terrestrial radio performance right, earning him a well-deserved honor at the 2010 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards.

"Rep. Issa has been a great champion of fair compensation for artists," said Daryl Freidman, Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer for the Recording Academy. "We will miss his friendship, leadership and humor. But before he retires, we look forward to finishing together the work we started to support music and to ensure that the current and next generation of creators are respected and compensated fairly for their work."

In July 2017, Issa introduced the CLASSICS Act — which stands for Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service and Important Contributions to Society — to Congress on a bipartisan basis to empower artists to collect royalties for the past three years directly through SoundExchange and finally treat their pre-1972 recordings like their newer peers. He has also been a consistent cosponsor of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act that will grant a radio performance right for artists and producers.

Adding additional context to the severity of the issue, Four Tops founding member Duke Fakir derided the copyright loophole with a real-world take on the dire necessity of the CLASSICS Act.

"This digital rip-off has been a disaster for many older artists, diverting the fruits of their labors — funds that should be their lifeline — to the balance sheets of some of the wealthiest companies in the world," said Fakir, who with the Four Tops earned a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. "Digital radio earns millions every year from the exploitation of pre-'72 music, from big band to Motown to the British Invasion. Yet artists who recorded those classics — many of whom are no longer able to tour — struggle for basic food, shelter and medical care.

"It's ridiculous, it's unfair, and it's about time we make it illegal."

Fakir's plea, and the action proposed with the CLASSICS Act, is that digital radio treat all music the same, regardless of when it was recorded, ensuring that the same royalties are paid for vintage songs as for new material.

Issa's retirement announcement reminds us how meaningful and impactful his work has been on behalf of the music community and how crucial it is to see his efforts through by supporting the CLASSICS Act.

"Conversations in Advocacy" is your weekend digital tip sheet on music advocacy and the policies that affect music makers and their craft. New installments post every Friday.

Bipartisan collaboration with music advocates presses forward as House Majority and Minority Leaders prepare to co-chair caucus for the 116th Congress

Nate Hertweck

Advocacy

Mar 14, 2019 - 12:37 pm

In the spirit of continued momentum for music creators, the Recording Academy welcomes the announcement of the members of the bipartisan Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus for the 116th Congress, chaired by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The caucus has been working with music creators to understand the economic and cultural impact of the music business on legislation since its inception in 2005.

We applaud and welcome the announcement of the members of the bipartisan Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus for the 116th Congress, chaired by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader). pic.twitter.com/9j47rnnqGl

In the past, caucus members have met with singers, songwriters, producers and engineers such as Recording Academy members The Band Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Brenda Lee, and Slash to discuss music's role in policy decision-making and how current laws impact their work and livelihood. The 2019 caucus promises to continue this bipartisan collaboration with music advocates.

"The 116th Congress began on a strong tailwind for music policy issues, and the robust, bipartisan membership of this caucus demonstrates a continued focus on music policy," said Daryl Friedman, Chief Industry, Government, & Member Relations Officer for the Recording Academy. "Recording Academy members look forward to working with the entire caucus to ensure that creatorsʹ voices continue to be heard on issues that affect not only them, but the next generation of creators."

That strong tailwind Freidman describes includes, among other incredible strides for music creators, the unanimous passage of the 2018 Music Modernization Act into law.

The GRAMMY-winning legend is giving away tickets to his Washington, D.C. concert with Chic in support of government workers affected by shutdown

Nate Hertweck

Advocacy

Jan 22, 2019 - 12:03 pm

Chic mastermind and guitarist/producer Nile Rodgersis opening his heart—and the box office—to federal government workers who have been impacted by the shutdown, offering 300 pairs of tickets to Chic's show this Saturday at MGM National Harbor near Washington, D.C. For Rodgers, the act of generosity comes from a very personal place.

"As a two-time cancer survivor, I believe music has a tremendous power and this is a small gesture I can make to provide some joy and healing,” Rodgers said. “In one of my biggest songs I wrote, ‘We Are Family, I’ve got all my sisters with me.’ I consider all of these people to be my brothers and sisters and I hope this lets them know that we are 100 percent behind them."

Rodgers also called the giveaway an effort to support the "incredibly hard-working people who provide important service to our country" affected by the shutdown.

With Chic's 1978 debut album, C'est Chic, Rodgers earned his first No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Le Freak" and "Good Times." He went on to earn three GRAMMY wins for his with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, including Album Of The Year for 2013.

Jun 11, 2015 – 4:00 pm

Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers Win Record Of The Year

Tickets are available now, and federal government employees who have been furloughed or forced to work without pay can apply for a free pair via Eventbrite.

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.